With the advent of new technology, various new forms of television content delivery methods have been developed. One example of these delivery methods is the delivery of television content via Video on Demand (VOD) systems.
In contrast to a conventional television delivery system that broadcasts the same content to all the viewers, a VOD system is an interactive television system that is able to adapt and tailor its content delivery method to fit a user's needs.
In particular, among other functionalities, a VOD system allows a user to request specific television content, such as a movie, that the user desires to view. In one example, upon receiving a user request for a movie, the movie is forwarded from a VOD server to a set-top box. A user can watch the movie via a “streaming mode” that allows viewing while the movie is being downloaded. Alternatively, a user can watch the movie at a later time after the entire content of the movie has been downloaded.
Because VOD systems offer new functionalities and an improved range of interactivity, VOD systems present novel advertisement opportunities that traditional forms of television advertisement techniques fail to fully exploit. More specifically, traditional television advertisement techniques are not adapted to the interactive nature of user interfaces associated with VOD systems.